The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six peers, was roughly flat at 101.55. (File image)SHANGHAI: The dollar held steady against major currencies on Friday, after a sharp selloff in US equities drove investors toward haven assets such as the yen and pushed Treasury yields lower ahead of a closely watched government payrolls report.

The trigger for the retreat from risk was a Democratic sweep in Congress that hammered US stocks on Thursday, with the Nasdaq recording its deepest one-day drop since "Liberation Day" in April 2025.

Fears of tighter scrutiny of the artificial intelligence industry, particularly around data centre construction, has roiled global markets this week.

The equity rout prompted investors to find shelter in bonds and haven currencies. The yen strengthened 0.2% to a one-week high of 157.40 a US dollar before reversing some of that gain.